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L. T. GASKILL. HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS BDATS. No. 595,912. Patented Dec. 21,1897.

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L. T. GASKILL. HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS BOATS. No. 595,912.

Patented Deo.21,1897.

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L. T. GASKILL. HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS BOATS. No. 595,912.

Patented'Dec. 21,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT. FFICEQ LACY T. GASKILL, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

HOLDING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FO'R SHIPS BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,912, dated December 21 1897.

Application filed February 26, 1897. Serial No. 625,124. (No model.) Patented in England February 28, 1896, No. 4,504.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LACY TOWNSEND GAs- KILL, master mariner, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holding and Disengaging Gear for Ships Boats, (for which I have received Letters Patent in England, No. 4,504, dated February 28, 1896,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a boat holding and disengaging apparatus which will not be liable to various defects of existing arrangements, and which is so arranged that it will liberate a boat from the chocks almost instantaneously and put it into such a position clear of the vessels side that it can be lowered in the water.

The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure l is a front View showing the apparatus when the boat isin its place on the chocks; Fig. 2, an end elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a plan thereof, part of which shows the boat in position and the other part the boat removed, but its position indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the apparatus, showing its position when the boat is suspended from the davits for launching; and Fig. 5, a plan view of a slight modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, A is the boat, which in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is shown arranged resting on the chocks B.

O are the davits, D the tackle for suspending the boat from the davits and raising or lowering it therefrom, and E the deck of the vessel.

0 are the ropes which hold the davits permanently in such a position that when the boat is liberated from the chocks it shall swing clear of the vessels side. The chocks B are hinged so that they can fall in a direction transversely to the boat, but are kept from falling by supporting legs or arms hereinafter described; but when these'legs or arms are removed the chocks fall down and the boat is free to swing outward on the davits clear of the vessels side immediately the holding and disengaging gear is released. This gear comprises two sliding bolts F and G, arranged under the boat 011 the deck E of the vessel, the two sliding bolts sliding in fixed guides, and one end of each coupled to a pivoted lever H, one on each side of the pivot H, so that the bolts will shoot or slide in opposite directions. Transversely around the boat, near or toward each end thereof, I place a chain I, having eyes J at opposite ends, the bolts aforesaid, by pulling the handle H being adapted to shoot into and engage these eyes and keep the two ends of the chain firmly coupled together and in such a way as to hold the boat onto or against the chocks B, so as to prevent it swinging outward, the sliding bolts aforesaid being arranged in such a position on the deck of the vessel as to' render this possible. The handle is kept locked with the bolts engaging the eyes by causing the catch P to engage a hole in the lever II. It is preferable to make the chains I in sections-that is to say, to use clamps K, which clip onto or engage the gunwales of the boat and couple the respective sections of the chain together where they pass the gunwale, thus avoiding any chafing of the gunwale by the chains.

K are lanyards or stretching-screws to regulate the length of the chains I. The chocks are supported in position to receive the boat by means of legs or arms L, and, moreover, chains M at one of their ends are fastened to each chock or, better, to the leg or arms L at N. Each of these chains M, after being fastened to L, is passed through an eye or sheave O, fixed on deck and then back to the shooting-bolts F and G, to which the other end of each chain is coupled by having an eye provided thereat through which the bolts pass. The boat is thus held firmly against the chocks and cannot be disengaged except by the movement of the lever.

In launching a boat all that is necessary is to unfasten the catch P and pull the handle H in the direction of the arrow. This causes the bolts to be shot back out of engagement with the eyes of the chains I and M at both ends of the boat. By this means all the chains, together withthe legs which support the chocks, are instantly and simultaneously released, the chocks fall down on deck, and

the boat being suspended by the tackle D from the davits swings off the chocks clear of the vessels side. The boat is now in the right position for launching and may be lowered onto the water. I sometimes use a bridle-chain R to check the boat and allow it to swing out gently, this chain having a few turns taken around any convenient stanchion on deck.

To place the boat again on the chocks, the eyes on the tackle are hooked into convenient hooks on the boat. The boat is then raised by the two davits, the chocks raised and secured by the legs L, the chains I passed around the boat, and the chain M passed through the eyes. The boat is now pulled sidewise by the bridle R on the chocks and the bolts shot into the eyes of the chain, thus holding the boat on the chocks.

In Fig. 5 an arrangement of my invention is shown which avoids the use of a certain amount of chain. In this figure F are bolts sliding into suitable guides and operated by a lever B. These levers engage the eyes at the ends of the chains I and M at one end of the boat, and the chains at the other end are engaged by an auxiliary bolt G, which forms part of the bolt F. It will thus be seen that there are two sets of bolts on the deck of the vessel and on each side of the vessel, thus avoiding the horizontal length of chain underneath. In operating the lever B the bolts simultaneously release the ends of the chains, so as to allow the boat to swing out.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In a boat raising, holding and lowering gear, the combination therewith of chocks arranged transversely to the boat and hinged at one of their ends to the deck of the vessel,

and legs or supports hinged to the deck at the opposite ends of the chocks, and engaging with the chocks, and means for holding said legs in the upright position so as to e11- gage with and support the chocks, substantially as described.

2. In a boat raising, holding and lowering gear, the combination of chocks hinged so that they can fall transversely to the boat, legs hinged to the deck and supporting said chocks, a chain or chains for keeping these legs upright so as to support the chocks, and mechanism for locking the ends of the chain or chains aforesaid so as to keep the boat firmly on the chocks and prevent the chocks from falling, and. a hand-lever controlling said locking mechanism, and locking devices for locking said hand-lever.

3. In a boat raising, holding and lowering gear, the combination of chains adapted to be passed transversely around the boat, chocks hinged so that they can fall transversely to the boat, legs supporting said chocks, a chain or chains for keeping these legs upright so as to support the chocks, and mechanism for locking the ends of the chain or chains aforesaid so as to keep the boat firmly on the chocks and prevent the chocks from falling, and a hand -lever controlling said locking mechanism, and locking devices for locking said hand-lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

L. T. GASKILL.

Witnesses:

G. C. DYMOND, W. H. BEESTON. 

